Archives By Month

Subscribe

Archive for the ‘Generative Medicine’ Category

“She put the lime in the coconut.
She called the doctor, woke him up, and said
‘Doctor, ain’t there nothing I can take’
I said, ‘Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?’”

— Harry Nilsson, Coconut

An increasing number of healthcare professionals are emphasizing the importance of proper lifestyle for creating true wellness. A physician may point in the right direction, but it falls on us to stay on the path toward optimum wellness. An occasional followup visit is valuable in maintaining the right direction, but the decisions made outside of the doctor’s office ultimately dictate the quality of one’s life.

Even so, unexpected health concerns do sometimes arise; and in those circumstances, it can be difficult to schedule visits—especially for patients who see doctors in different parts of the country. Seeing a specialist or organizing a visit with an expert sometimes means planning months in advance for an in-office visit.

As our capacity for virtual methods of communication increases, however, it is becoming increasingly common to see a doctor without having to plan and travel for a visit to the office. Through Skype, Phone, or Email, we are now able to obtain expert medical advice without even leaving the comfort of home.

Known as “Remote Consultations,” these modes of patient-physician interaction have been shown to yield very positive results. For example, a 2010 Kaiser study “observed more than 35,000 patients in Southern California who had diabetes… and found patient-physician email within a two-month period was associated with a statistically significant improvement in effectiveness of care.“

Increasingly popular and more common amongst patients, the ability to speak with a doctor over the phone or on video chat provides a new level of flexibility for those seeking support with their health. Remote consultation services reach patients in every state and countries throughout the world, easily giving patients access to the best minds in medical care without the hassle of scheduling and preparing for office visits.

As a physician specializing in preventive wellness and personalized medicine, I too have seen the benefits of remote consultations. As I was already providing services to fellow doctors and patients from all over the U.S. and other countries, I recently decided to specialize my practice in remote consultations—an affordable alternative to gaining expert medical advice without having to travel cross-country. With insurers like Aetna and United Healthcare getting on board with this convenient and cost-saving method for delivering healthcare, there has never been a better time to explore this unique path to true wellness for yourself, your friends, and your family!

“Ain’t gonna set my sights on YouTube; that won’t fill my need.
I’ve got no cable on the boob tube; I’ll be the last guy who can read.”

- Dion, I Read It in the Rolling Stone

Reddit (reddit.com), also known as “The Front Page of the Internet”, is a social networking site that provides users with a platform to converse about similar thoughts and interests. Within the site are communities called ‘subreddits’—pages that allow for discussion on more specialized topics. Ranging from science (reddit.com/r/science) to music (reddit.com/r/music), the subreddit communities provide content for almost everything.

One of the more famous subreddits gives the opportunity for community members to open up and provide feedback to questions that may be asked of them by other users. Known as the subreddit “I Am A ______, Ask Me Anything” (reddit.com/r/Iama), this page provides any user—from famous actors and subject matter experts to the everyman with something unique to share—with the opportunity to provide clarity and insight into the profession that they have chosen, their specific area of expertise, or the different hobbies and interests in which they are occupied.

Some recent IAMA highlights include question and answer sessions with the renowned astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson, Khan Academy creator Salmon Khan, and Stanford research professor and Google X founder Sebastian Thrun. The IAMA subreddit provides a fascinating window through which users may gain insight into the lives of others as well as for public figures and experts to provide transparency.

On Thursday, June 28th starting at 1PM EST, I will be engaging in an “I Am A Physician Expert in Personalized, Integrative Medicine, Ask Me Anything” to answer questions that users may have about generative medicine, personalized medicine, and the progress toward a future wellness care system. As either a participant or viewer, please join me to voice your support,engage in the conversation, and of course, to Ask Me Anything!